The parasitic jaeger (North America) or Arctic skua (Europe) (Stercorarius parasiticus), is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migratory species that breeds in Northern Scandinavia, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Northern Canada, Alaska, and Siberia and winters across the southern hemisphere.

Parasitic Jaegers, known as arctic skuas in Europe, are fast-flying relatives of gulls with a piratical lifestyle. They breed on the Arctic tundra, where they prey mainly on birds and their eggs. They spend the rest of the year on the open ocean, harrying other seabirds and sometimes attacking in groups, until they give up their catch.

Arctic skuas, also called parasitic jaegers, have a well-earned reputation as avian pirates, stealing much of their food from other birds.

The skuas / ˈskjuːə / are a group of predatory seabirds with seven species forming the genus Stercorarius, the only genus in the family Stercorariidae. The three smaller skuas, the Arctic skua, the long-tailed skua, and the pomarine skua, are called jaegers in North American English.

Learn more about Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua) from… Slender gull-like seabird; the middle-sized of the three jaegers. Breeds on Arctic tundra; spends the rest of the year at sea. Difficult to separate from other jaegers. Breeding adults have a long pointed tail …

May 16, 2021 · Meet the Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus) including their appearance, diet, habitat, range, lifespan, breeding and behavior.

Name: Parasitic Jaeger, Arctic Skua, Parasitic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus) Length: 40 to 50 cm. Weight: 300 to 650 grams. Location: Breeds in Northern North America, Europe, and Asia. Winters in tropical and southern oceans. Conservation status: Least Concern. Diet: Fish, small mammals, small birds, insects.

The Arctic Skua is a medium-sized, dark seabird with pointed wings, which are pale at the tips. Often seen flying low and fast above the waves in pursuit of a tern or other bird, sometimes chasing it high into the air, twisting and turning, to make it drop its food.

The Arctic Skua, or Arctic Jaeger, is an energetic flier with falcon-like wings and long central tail feathers. They live most of their lives at the sea and come ashore to breed in the arctic summer. It is a circumpolar breeder and steals food from other birds (kleptoparasitism).

A fierce pirate of the sea, the Arctic skua is renowned for stealing fish from other seabirds and dive-bombing anyone that comes near its nests. It breeds in the far north of Scotland and on the Scottish Isles.